1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle air conditioning system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioning system that includes a refrigerant flow booster for increasing the flow of refrigerant to an air conditioning compressor.
2. Background Information
A typical automobile air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve or orifice tube, and an evaporator. The compressor compresses a cool vapor-phase refrigerant (e.g., Freon, R134a) to heat the same, resulting in a hot, high-pressure vapor-phase refrigerant. This hot vapor-phase refrigerant runs through a condenser, typically a coil that dissipates heat. The condenser condenses the hot vapor-phase refrigerant into liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant is throttled through an expansion valve, which evaporates the refrigerant to a cold, low-pressure saturated liquid-vapor-phase refrigerant. This cold saturated liquid-vapor-phase refrigerant runs through the evaporator, typically a coil that absorbs heat from the air fed to the passenger compartment.
The compressor is typically configured to operate at variable speeds, corresponding to the varying speeds of the power source within the vehicle. Often, the compressor is driven by the vehicle's engine. In stop and go traffic, a vehicle engine is often operating for extended periods of time at idling speed or close to idling speeds. Thus, sometimes the compressor operates at low speeds that correspond to the engine speed. At low speeds the compressor may not generate sufficient suction power at its inlet to draw in necessary amounts of gaseous refrigerant. As a result, the air conditioning system may not operate optimally.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need in a vehicle air conditioning system for improved gaseous refrigerant flow into the inlet of the compressor under certain operating conditions. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.